Tuesday, 17 February 2015

I Read... The Novel Cure

Are you feeling lethargic? Do you have high blood pressure? Could you be depressed? Love sick? Maybe you don't need to pop a pill. Maybe you need The Novel Cure.

The Novel Cure is something that I simply had to have once I saw it. Imagine a medical reference book full of every disease imaginable. Now instead of medications, this book prescribes literature. Do you suffer from a debilitating fear of death? Read One Hundred Years of Solitude. Toothache? Read Anna Karenina. Are you too vain? Gone With the Wind. Any reader can tell you that there is nothing better than curling up with a good book to cure what ails you, and this gives some great ideas to anyone who might be feeling stuck. Sure, you can always go to Goodreads to check out a recommendation. But sometimes you want a book that speaks specifically to how you are feeling, someone who can speak to you and the pain (or joy) in your heart.

The act of reading The Novel Cure was, in itself, almost like a healing ritual. Skimming the pages to see which ailments are mentioned brought me back to different places in time. I may not be feeling a particular way now, but having the pain of loneliness, having a broken heart, and being plain old broke described in such poetic language instantly brings you back. Reading on to see which books are recommended for a particular malady would lead me to one of three reactions: 1- YES! I couldn't agree more. I want to find all of the people who feel X right now and tell them YOU MUST READ Y! 2- NO! Who wrote this? Are they crazy? That would never work. Or 3- Now I MUST read X! Let me head over to my Amazon cart to purchase said book immediately.

I think that The Novel Cure will be a welcome addition to any book lover's collection. It gives you the chance to reflect on your favourite novels and get some great recommendations for your ever-expanding "to-read" list. I would like to say that this is a great place for a non-reader to look for inspiration, but I think that may be optimistic. The book seems to be written for those who are already "drinking the Kool-Aid" so to speak- those who already believe that all you need is a warm chair, a nice mug of tea, and a great book.

Food for thought... When is the last time that a book transformed your mood? What was the book? What happened?